State prosecutors on Monday charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with assault in the January shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis, an incident that sparked violent protests at the height of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The identity of the agent accused of firing the shot, Christian Castro, 52, had not been disclosed until Monday. Mr. Castro was charged with four counts of second-degree assault, a felony, and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Castro had a lawyer.
A state investigation into the Jan. 14 shooting of the immigrant, Julio C. Sosa-Celis, had been stymied by the refusal of federal agencies to share information, including the names of the two agents involved in a chase that preceded the shooting.
Mr. Sosa-Celis, who was shot in the leg, was one of three people shot by federal agents during the immigration crackdown in Minnesota over the winter. Agents also shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Law enforcement officers are allowed to use deadly force if they reasonably perceive an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to themselves or someone else.
Minnesota prosecutors have acknowledged that they face formidable practical and legal challenges in prosecuting federal agents for on-duty conduct. The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution gives federal officials broad immunity from state prosecution, but Minnesota officials say those protections not absolute.
The Trump administration said the crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, would root out illegal immigration and fraud amid insufficient cooperation from state and local officials. Minnesota’s Democratic leaders condemned the campaign as a constitutionally dubious occupation motivated by political animus. Federal judges expressed alarm about some of the administration’s actions.
Posted by John3262005
1 Comment
So far this is the second federal agent to face felony charges in Minnesota
Good news but it will be interesting to see the response by the Trump administration
Also, the federal government not helping the investigation regarding the Venezuelan government is par for the chorus or actively hinder the investigation in the shootings of citizens